A Day in the Life of a Nichols Customer Service Rep

In the business world, many people use the idiom, “the glue that holds us together,” as a way to describe a position that operates behind the scenes but is critical to the success of the organization. In addition to (in many cases) being the first line of contact for our customers, they are also responsible for entering orders, staying aligned with their assigned Sales Representatives, and completing one customer “touch” each day they work. While the phrase gets thrown around a lot, I believe that Nichols Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) really are the glue that holds Nichols together.

The majority of a Nichols CSR’s time is spent taking customer phone calls and answering emails. Whether it be to enter orders, set meetings, or help set up a login for online ordering (just to name a few), there are a plethora of things our CSRs help with. Our CSRs work tirelessly to provide the best level of service in the industry for our customers.

Generally, orders funnel in from 3 different sources: via email, called in over the phone, or online through the Nichols website. In each of these cases, the CSR plays a role in ensuring the order is fulfilled. In the case of an email order, each CSR has a personal inbox for their Sales Reps’ customers as well as access to a master orders inbox, from which they can enter all received orders into the system. When an order is called in, they walk the customer step-by-step through the process of getting their order entered. When a customer orders online, the CSR is notified via email of any new or unusual items in the order, so they can follow up with the customer, if necessary. No matter the means, our CSRs make sure our customers needs are taken care of.

In addition to helping customers and entering orders, our CSRs are also responsible for being the main point of contact for 2 – 5 Sales Reps, each with varying personalities, sales tactics, areas of expertise, and customer bases. I tend to think of CSRs similarly to that of the manager of a baseball team in that regard: they play a huge role in the success of our Sales Representatives with our customers and drivers and ensure that success is achieved harmoniously. It can be a lot to keep track of, but our CSRs do an excellent job of managing these relationships.

Finally, CSRs are responsible for one customer “touch” for each day that they work. This can be accomplished in a variety of different ways. Some CSRs send cards, whether it be a greeting card forming a new relationship, a thank you card after a productive meeting, or a Happy Holidays card at the end of another successful year of doing business together. Others make a phone call or go out to visit the customer in person. One of the coolest things they do, though, is sending special, themed gifts. It could be a Sunshine Box to brighten the customer’s day, a Safety Travel Pack at the beginning of summer to promote safe and healthy travel, or a Toilet Paper Apple to kick off the new school year. These “touches” are just one way our CSRs strive to provide the highest level of service possible.

As you can probably tell, our CSRs work hard and are essential for creating an enjoyable customer experience. We appreciate all your effort, team!